The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-08-10
Big and Eccentric Bets Made By Wealthy
Men for Fun and Money.

uAen Tor uu anu money
Chambers Journal
So far as we can go back in the worlds
history we find the rage for making wagers
prevalent. The Romans had great taste
for making wsgers and bets, and they had
a conventional form of ratifying these
contracts, which consisted in taking from
The finger the ring which .he higher classes
invaribly wore and giving t into the keep
ing of some third party.
A wager was made early in the last GEN.
tury by banker named Bulliot. He was
firm believer in the superstition that if
rain fell Oh st. Swithin's Day July 15) 1t
will also fall, more or less, for forty days
after. st. Swithin's Day in tie year 1725
was very wet; and so Bulliot offered to bet
any one who chose to put down his mon
ey that the next forty days would o rainy,
So many persons showed desire to take
this wager that its terms were reduced to
writing as follows: "If, dating from St.
SwithIn's Day, it rains more or little dur
ing the forty days successfully, Ballot will
be considered to have gained, but II 1t
ceases 70 rain for only one day during that
time, Bulliot has lost" GA there terms
Bulliot betted aginst all who presented
themselves. He was so confident of sue
cess that he placed money against articles
of value of every description. People
brought gold-headed canes, snuff boxes,
Jewels, even clothes; and Bulliot wagered
as much money against them as he consid-
cred they were worth. When his stock of
cash came to an end be issued notes and
bills of exchange to such an extent that it
was said he had paper money out to the
amount of 100000 crowns.
All this naturally excited great deal OF
public curiosity. and the rash man found
himself quite fashionable for the time
being. Verses were made in his honor, a
play was produced which had him for the
hero; in word, he attracted as much at
tention as though he were a monarch or
famous statesman. But, unfortunately for
Bulliot, st. Swithin was not true to his
character. For the first twenty-one days
of the stipulated time more or less rain
fell. The twenty-second day, however,
was bright and cloudless, and night came
on without there being the slightest sign of
rain. Bulliot was ruined, and ruined so
completely that he was unable to meet the
notes and bills that bore his name. The
holders of these tried to enforce payment;
bat the ancient law did not recognize debts
OF this kind any more than does the Law
of more modern days. They were nom
suited, and their debts declared irrecoyer-
able.
A foreign prince staying in Paris made a
bet with a member of the Imperial Club
that he (the Prince) would, in the course of
the next two hours, be arrested by the po-
lice without committing any offense or
provoking the authorities in any fash
ion. The way he won his wager was by
dressing himself in tattered old blouse, q
pair of moldy old boots full of holes, and
q disreputable burlesque OF a hat. Thus at
tired be walked up to one of the most aris'
tocratic cafes in Paris, and, seating himselJ
at table, called for a cup of chocolate.
The waiter, as was only natural, did not
care about serving so Notwithstanding a
customer before he was assurad that the
payment would be forthcoming, SO he told
the Prince he must pay in advance.
Upon this his Highness pulled bundle
of bank notes out of his pocket, and pick
ing out one of considerable value, told him
to take the price of the coffee out of 1t and
bring back the change. The man immedlf
ately went in search of the proprietor o.
the cafe, who, when he heard the facts o.
the case, ordered the coffee to be served {
and at the same time sent to the neares
police station for sergeant de vile. The
Prince, was of course arrested and taken
before a Commissionary of Police. He an-
nounoed bis rank, and told his reasons tor
assuming such an unprincely. costume.
The authorities were obdurate at fret, but
they finally consented to send the Prince
under escort TO the Imperial Club, where
the gentlemen with whom the bet had been
made proved his identity and paid his
Highness his money.
A wager was made in the Castle yard,
York, between ThossHodgson and Samuel
Whitehead as to which should succeed in
assuming the most original character.
Umpires were selected, whose duty it was
to decide upon the comparative absurdity
OF the costumes in which the two men ap'
peared. On the appointed day Hodgson
came before the umpires decorated with
| bank notes of various value on his coat
and waistcoat row of guinea notes, and
| a long Melted purse of gold round his hat,
while piece of paper bearing the words
"John Bull" was attached to his back.
Whitehead was dressed like a woman on
| one side, one-half of his face was painted,
and he wore silk stocking and slipper on
one leg. The other halt of his face was
| blacked to resemble that Of a. negro; on
the corresponding side of his body he wore
gaudy, long-tailed linen coat, and his leg
| was cased in half a pair of leather
breeches, with boot and spar. One
| would fancy that Whitehead must have
| presented by far the most singular appear
ance. The unpires thought differently,
however, and awarded the stakes to Hodg-
son.
| A notorious gambler OF the last century
finally ruined himself by very extraor-
| binary bet. He had been playing with
Lord Lorne. Their stakes had been very
high, and luck had gone steadily against
| him. Exasperaied at his losses he Jumped
up from the card table, and, Selling large
punch bowl, said: For once III have q
bet where l have a chance of winning
odd or even for Il, 900 guineas?" "0dd,
replied the peer, calmly. The BOWL wal
dashed against the wall, and on the piece!
being counted there proved to be an ode
one. The rash gambler paid up his 1900
guineas, but, If tradition be correct, 1t wai
IL 10
he was enabled &c do so.